Harry Marauder
by Sancontoa
Summary: Harry Potter is not happy about being back in England or about being forced to attend Hogwarts or having his life threatened on a daily bases. What does faith have in store for this reluctant hero? Lots of adventure, romance, and a few new friends.
1. Like It Or Not

Disclaimer: Everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: I know its been forever since I've written a HP Fanfic but I have a bunch of free time this summer so I started this story. If you like it comment and I'll write some more. Either way I'll probably be updating it ever couple of days so stay tuned. Hope you like it :)

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Chapter One:

Like It Or Not

To say that Harry Potter was not a happy camper would probably be putting it mildly. No an explosion waiting to happen was probably more accurate. From under his black hooded sweatshirt he glared daggers at the two Aurors who were currently guarding the entrance to his compartment and sighed. It had only been three days since he had been caught and in that time he had tried to escape forty-five times. Once he'd gotten all the way down the hall before the bigger Auror had caught him. Well, he smirked; at least he wasn't making the Auror's jobs easy for them Sirius would be proud. But at the though of his godfather his smirk faded away and went back to glaring at the Aurors. It was because of them that Sirius and Remus were locked away in Askaban right now and he was on his way to Hogwarts. It was so unfair in so many ways that Harry's seventeen-year-old brain had problems believing it. That a government that was supposedly fair had just sent two innocent men to such an inhumane place- well there had to be a mistake. He'd grown up hearing stories of England and the great wizards that inhabited it from Sirius and Remus and either something had gone terribly wrong in the sixteen years they had been gone or he needed to reevaluate how much trust he put in authorities.

There was noise outside his compartment door and Harry turned to see a bunch of teenagers staring at him. Obviously well he had been lost in thought the students had begun to board the Hogwarts Express.

"Is it really him?" A tall red haired wizard asked the second Auror trying to get a look at Harry.

"Ron don't stare," a bushy haired witch, reprimanded the boy as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Harry's compartment. As they made their way down the corridor he could her scolding Ron on why it was rude to stare at people.

Harry suppressed a chuckle and went back to staring out the window. The train had started by now, scenes of the English countryside flew past his window and suddenly Harry felt very homesick.

"Mr. Potter," Shaklobult said, sticking his head inside the compartment. "Me and Dullish are going to go sit with the conductor so you can have a chance to interact with the other students. And before you go thinking this is your chance to slip away I will warn you that the last student to try to jump off this train ended up regretting it." And with that two Aurors were gone.

Harry sighed again; as much as he disliked the two Aurors they had at least kept the other students away. He was in no mood to make new friends right now, in fact the time difference and the excitement of the last few days was finally catching up to him, resting his head against the window pane Harry feel into a light slumber.

_He was five years old and standing outside a brick apartment building in downtown Detroit. His small hands held a teddy bear backpack; he smiled at Moony who was trying to take as many pictures as he could before the school bus arrived._

_Padfoot seemingly not able to contain himself anymore cut in front of the camera to give Harry just one more hug._

"_I'm so proud of you little man," Padfoot whispered in his ear. "Now remember what we talked about? What's your name again?"_

"_Harry Marauder," Harry giggled._

"_Yes you are, but I still want you to behavior yourself," Moony said putting down the camera and coming over to ruffle Harry's already very untidy jet black hair. _

_A school bus bearing the words "Merlin Elementary School" pulled up in front of the apartment and a beaming old lady in a purple hat came out to greet them._

"_Oh I always love the first day of school," she beamed at them taking Harry's hand, "now don't you two worry we'll have him right back here at 12 o'clock with a little big more knowledge stuck in his noggin."_

"_What's a noggin?" Harry asked no one in particular._

"_Oh dear me he has the cutes British accent," the bus drive exclaimed leading Harry towards the bus then explained, "a noggin means a brain. Now we have two more kindergarteners on this bus so I'm going to take you to sit with them."_

_Harry turned to look back over his shoulder before boarding the bus at his two godfathers. Suddenly they were gone and in their place were the two Aurors looking back at him, grim smiles on their faces and Harry felt very much alone._

He woke with a start, suddenly confused as to where he was. A girl with bright red hairs and a bemused expression on his face was looking down at him.

"I'm really sorry to wake you," the girl said, smiling, "I meant to just sit her quietly, you see everywhere else is full, but your such a light sleeper I'm afraid I woke you."

"No problem," Harry muttered, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Oh are you American?" she asked curiously and it was only then that Harry realized she didn't know who he was.

"Kinda," Harry sighed, "I was raised there. "

"Oh that's so exciting," the girl exclaimed, "I always wanted to go to another country. Anywhere except here actually."

"Really? Don't you like it here?" Now Harry was intrigued by this red haired girl who much be so out-of-the-loop she hadn't heard any of the rumors Harry knew had carried to the rest of the train by now about who he was.

"Well its not that I don't like it," the girl said carefully, "Hogwarts is great. Its just I wish I could have a fresh start somewhere where no one knew me."

"Oh," Harry said because even though he wanted to question the girl further he got the feeling that like him, this girl like that he didn't' know who she was. "Well maybe you can tell me about Hogwarts anyway, like who the good teachers are?"

The girl smiled brightly at him and began prattling off about different teachers and subjects. She seemed to really like Transfiguration and hate potions, mainly because the teacher didn't like Gryffindor.

"Oh I forgot," the girl said, "you don't know about the houses do you?"

Harry could have told her that he knew all about them and that if he wasn't in Gryffindor his godfather would probably break out of Askaban and demand the hat re-sort him, but he liked listening to this girl explain things to him so he let her explain all about the four houses.

"What house are you in?" Harry asked her, breaking their unspoken rule not to talk about themselves for the first time.

"Gryffindor," she said flatly, "all my family have been going back as far as anyone can remember."

"Wow," Harry said, "that must suck."

The girl looked at him and then laughed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"No one has ever summed it up so perfectly before," the girl laughed. She was about to say something else when a voice boomed through the train telling them they would be at Hogwarts in fifteen minutes.

"Well I'd better go so you can change," the girl said almost sadly.

Harry smiled at her, before chuckling darkly as he said, "oh I have not intention of changing into a uniform."

"What do you mean?"

"Well let's just say I'm not going to Hogwarts of my own free will and I intend to remind that old bat of it every chance I get."

The girl looked at Harry again before chuckling, "you know I think I'm really going to like you" she looked at him surprised realizing that she had never gotten his name.

"Harry," Harry told her extending a hand, "Harry Potter."

To her credit the girl only look mildly shocked before taking his hand and saying, "I'm Ginny Weasley."

The train lurched to a stop and the two Aurors appeared again to escort Harry up to the castle. For some reason they looked darkly at Ginny before grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him through the jostling crowd of students and out onto the dark platform.

"You'll go with Hagrid and the other first years," the taller Auror told him pushing him towards a giant of a man who was calling for the first years. "And we'll be watching just to make sure you make it to the castle."

"You act like you don't trust me," Harry smirked.

"We don't," the tall Auror told him flatly.

Harry didn't bother replying but made his way over to the Hagrid who was now leading the first years along a narrow path. Even Harry couldn't help the amazed expression on his face when Hogwarts castle came into view. Looking up at the school where his parents had gone to school, where Sirius and Remus had meet, he couldn't help but remember a conversation he had overheard his godparents having six years ago.

"_Its time to send him to Hogwarts," Sirius whispered. Harry who was supposed to be sound asleep in the next room paused on his way to the bathroom and like any good Marauder started ease dropping._

"_You know I want him to go as much as you do," Remus was saying, "but it's just not safe. Dumbledore is still headmaster and you know he will just use Harry in one of his schemes."_

"_You-know-who is dead Moody-" Sirius started before Remus interrupted him._

"_We don't know that. But more importantly Dumbledore doesn't believe that. You know he will try to train Harry to fight Him and do I have to remind you how well Dumbledore's plans turned out last time. No Dumbledore is done playing destiny with the Potter family. Harry will have just as great an education going to a wizarding public school."_

"_I know, it's just hard to think he'll never get the chance to go to Hogwarts."_

"_I know Padfoot, I know," Remus whispered sadly. _

He was jerked out of his thoughts but Hagrid's thick voice calling "Three te' a boat."

Harry slipped into one of the boats. Seemingly there was an excess of boats, or the first years were just too afraid to ride with Harry, because no one joined him. Harry was okay with that; he didn't need any snot-noised eleven year olds asking him questions. It was bad enough he had already made a friend in Ginny. He was not here to enjoy himself or to learn anything; even if this was the place his godfathers had wanted him to go. What was important was that Sirius and Remus were in Askaban and this was imprisonment and he was going to get out of here just as soon as he could figure out how. With that thought in mind he allowed himself to glare up at Hogwarts, the school his parents and godfathers had gone to.

The boats docked in a little cave under the school and Hagrid led them up slippery steps to a big wooden door. He knocked three times before a witch who had to be Professor McGonagall opened it. Sirius had once described her as someone who needed to pull the stick out of her- before Remus had quickly interrupted him. She led the first years and Harry into a grand entrance hall and proceeded to lecture them on how important their house would be during their time here. Harry yawned and decided not to listen. A few minutes later she was gone and he was left alone with a bunch of shivering first years.

Harry decided this would be a great time to start his delinquent activism and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.

"Mr. Potter what do you think you're doing?" Professor McGonagall asked him sharply. He looked up trying to act surprised and taking a long pull on the cigarette said. "Smoke Mrs. McGonagall."

"Its Professor McGonagall," she exclaimed, "and smoking is not permitted inside the building and where is your uniform?"

"I lost it," Harry said innocently, taking a last pull on the cigarette before dropping it to the floor and stomping on it.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall warned, "you are seriously in danger of breaking a record for the shortest amount of time a new student has spend in this castle before receiving a detention."

"You British people are way too uptight," Harry told her, "can't a person make a few mistakes before being threatened with detention around here?"

Professor McGonagall glared at him before deciding it was pointless to reply and instead led the new students into the great hall. Harry pulled his hood up over his head; hiding his face from the hundreds of students who were trying to stare at him and made his was to the front of the hall.

He stood at the very end of the row of first years, next to what he figured was the Slytherin table. Not wanting to look like he cared what was going on, he plopped down on the very edge of the table and pulled from a torn paperback from the back pocket of his jeans. He knew that the whole of Hogwarts was staring at him open mouthed, so much so in fact that the Slytherins near him hadn't bothered to kick him off their table.

The hat had finished singing, not that anyone had really been listening to it, and Professor McGonagall started calling names. After about twenty minutes she got to "Potter, Harry."

Harry sat very still, pretending he didn't hear her. After a few minutes she repeated his name, louder this time. He still didn't react.

"Mr. Potter" she said very sternly, "if you do not get up here now you will have a week's worth of detention."

At this Harry looked up as if he had really not heard her and said, "sorry Mrs. McGonagall I was at a good part. So what? I just put the hat on?"

"Professor McGonagall," she said her lips very thin.

"Yes you already told me your name out in the hall," Harry told her innocently.

"That's five points from whatever house you're sorted into and detention Mr. Potter, now put on the hat."

"Christ someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Harry muttered, just loud enough for her and the people seated closest to the hat to hear, before quickly putting on the hat.

_Hmmm _the hat said and Harry would have jumped if he hadn't already known this was going to happen. _Well you are difficult. Very brave and loyal, Gryffindor would suit you well. Now that is interesting._

_What's interesting? _Harry asked annoyed.

_Something you will find out about yourself along your journey but for now I think I will put you in _GRYFFINDOR.

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So what do you think? Let me know by reviewing!


	2. Into the Frying Pan

Disclaimer: I love Harry Potter and wish with all my heart I had been brilliant enough to think it up in the first place, but I wasn't, and so everything Harry Potter related belongs to the genius mind of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Thank you so much every one for reviewing. I don't think I've had so much interest in one of my stories since Pluto was a planet. So with no further ado, I hope you like the new chapter.

**Chapter Two: **

**Into The Frying Pan**

Harry sighed and pulled the dirty hat off his head. The table to the very left was cheering loudly for him but he didn't seem to notice. Ginny was sitting at the very end of the table, a few seats down from her housemates. She was clapping cheerfully for him and seemed to be ignoring the dirty looks the rest of the school was giving her as Harry came and sat down next to her.

"Told you I'd be seeing you again," Harry whispered. Ginny smiled and turned back to the sorting. It took another twenty minutes for all the shivering first years to be sorted and then with a wave of Dumbledore's hands the tables groaned under mountains of foods. Harry had never starved in his life, his godfathers had made sure of this, but he had also never seen a feast like this before.

"I see you're planning on liking on thing about Hogwarts," Ginny chided, looking pointy at his non-to-healthy selections.

"A growing boy's got to eat," Harry said, his eyes twinkling., digging in.

Three minutes later his mouth was still so full of food that when two people appeared on his right side his glare looked rather funny.

"Hello," the bushy haired girl he'd seen on the train said. The red haired boy was still trailing after him, however this time he looked very upset as he glared at Ginny. "I'm Hermione Granger and this is Ron Weasley and we're the sixth year Gryffindor Prefect, which is the year I think you're going to be in."

She had said this very quickly and was now looking at him expectantly.

"Well congratulations," Harry said, not know what else to say.

"Oh, well thank you," Hermione said and her eyes quickly flicked over to Ginny for some reason, "well what I meant was maybe you would like to come and sit with us since we are best able to show you around."

"Thanks but I'm good here," Harry said, turning back to his meal, "and honestly I think it would be best if I don't have a guide, that way I can do a bunch of stupid things that annoy the teachers and have an excuse for not knowing."

It was probably good he was not looking at Hermione in that second or he would have burst out laughing. Her eyes had gone wide and she looked visibly sick at thee idea that someone was going to try to break as many school rules as possible.

"You know Ginny," Harry said, now ignoring both prefects, "I think that would be a great game. How long I can annoy the shit out of the teachers before they give me a detention. I figure due to the celebrity status and all I can make it though at least one day of classes."

"I disagree, you didn't see the look on Professor McGonagall's face while you had the sorting hat on," Ginny said, holding back her laugher, "you wont make it through the night."

"Harry, mate," the other prefect Ron said. Harry turned to see he had been gritting his teeth this whole time.

"Oh sorry didn't realize you were still here," Harry laughed, "what can I help you with?"

"Look I don't think you understand," Ron seemed pained as he glared at Ginny, "You. Don't. Want. To. Sit. Here. You should sit with us."

"No I don't think you understand," Harry said, now he was annoyed, "I don't really care who you are but I'm already sitting here and it would be rude to move now. So why don't you, what is it you British people said, oh bugger off."

Ron looked like this was the last thing he wanted to do, but Hermione, still looking scandalized from Harry's rule breaking comments, pulled him away. Harry could here them muttering darkly as they made their way back to the rest of the Gryffindor, all of whom seemingly had been staring at Harry since the sorting. Harry had had enough. He did not want to be at this school, he did not want to keep having the one good thing that had happened since he got here (his dinner) interrupted, and he defiantly didn't want a couple hundred people staring at him as he ate, that was just creepy.

"Harry what are you doing?" Ginny asked, nervously, as Harry stood up and jumped on to the bench he had been sitting on.

If the whole hall hadn't been staring at him before, they were now.

"Sorry to bother you all, but can you all quite staring at me, it's really annoying and I'm trying to eat. Thanks," Harry announced, then jumped down and resumed his meal.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said her lips a very thin line in anger. "Here at Hogwarts we do not stand on benches and make announcements during dinner."

"Really?" Harry asked sheepishly, "we did that all the time at my old high school."

"I think you will find Hogwarts is very different from an American high school," Professor McGonagall said sharply before sweeping off to the head table again.

"See, no detention," Harry said happily, going back to his dinner.

Ginny just stared at him, her mouth slightly opened.

Slowly the huge mountains of food on the table disappeared, only to be replaced by deserts. Harry spent much of the meal asking Ginny what different oddly shaped dishes were and then, because Sirius had always told him to never, ever, turn down something chocolate, he would put bits of it on his plate.

"You know this humbugger thing is really good," Harry said well munching on a tart. Ginny just laughed at him like she had been doing during much of the meal.

Up at the front table Dumbledore stood and begin to speak.

"Now that we are all fed and watered," he said in a very old-wise-wizard voice that greatly annoyed Harry who continued to eat even though he knew that was extremely rude. "I have a few start of term announcements. First years are to note that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden, as is the third floor corridor on the right hand side. Mr. Filch has asked me to add all Weasley Wizard Wheezes produces to the list of items which are not allowed in Hogwarts, the full list, which now has 2343 items, is posted in Mr. Filch's office. Finally I would like to remind all students that the safety processions but in place last year due to Voldemore's, "at the sound of the name most of the student body, including Harry, flinched and for some weird reason many glared at Ginny, but Dumbledore seemed not to notice, "return. Please be very careful and always walk in groups if possible. Now off to bed the lot of you."

Prefects from each of the houses started calling for the first years to follow them, but Harry deciding he didn't want to talk to his again for awhile, followed Ginny. She led him out of the hall and away from the rest of the students. She seemed to be taking a different route then the rest of the students took and made her way along deserted corridors and cobweb filled passages.

"You sure know your way around here," Harry commented after a couple minutes of silent walking.

"Well I try to avoid most students," Ginny told him. Then as the entered a long empty corridor, she stopped and turned to look at him. Harry noticed she had tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Harry I think there's something I need to tell you."

"No," Harry said firmly and without thinking he drew her into a hug. "I don't need to know. I'm very good at knowing when I can trust someone and I fell like I can trust you and that's all I need to know."

"But," Ginny said, tears now flowing freely from her face, "you're going to find out really soon and I don't want you to find out from someone else."

"I wouldn't listen," Harry told her, "I know what its like to have the weight of the past follow you everywhere. I want to get to know you for you, not for what other people tell me. So you take your time and when the moment is right we can talk about our pasts. But not yet, lets get to know each other first."

Harry pulled away first, turning so that Ginny could wipe her eyes on her sleeve and put a little grin back on her face.

"Harry Potter," she said finally, "you are not what I expected."

"You know a lot of people have been telling me that lately," Harry said thoughtfully, "but you know what, screw them, its my life not theirs."

Ginny just giggled at him and continued to make her way through the halls of Hogwarts, this time explaining where they were going or telling him stories about the times she had gotten lost down certain hallways.

"I need to make a little detour is that okay?" Ginny asked him awhile later.

"Do I have a choice?" Harry muttered.

"Well, no" Ginny laughed and pushed through a tapestry of a green dragon. They appeared to be in front of the hospital wing. Harry looked slightly confused but Ginny just shrugged away his questioning look and opened the door.

"Would it be okay if I said goodnight to him?" Ginny asked the plump witch who had come out to see what the commotion was about.

"Of course dear," she said and for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts he saw someone give Ginny a warm smile before she disappeared into a back room.

Ginny made her way down the silent ward, Harry trailing after her, until the got to the bed at the very end. A boy about Harry's age was lying there. He was slightly cubby, with light brown hair and eyes wide open, but somehow vacant.

"Hello Neville." Ginny said tenderly taking his hand. "Its Ginny."

"Ginny!" The boy said excited, his head turning in her direction but his eyes still staring off into the distance, "I forgot students were coming back today. How was your summer?"

"Horrible," Ginny told him as if this was a joke, "Aunt Muriel spent the whole summer complaining that my head was too big, horrible women. How about you?"

"Gran came to visit a few times, she doesn't cry anymore when she comes, just sits with me and talks. It's nice actually and she read me your letters, thanks."

"Oh good!" Ginny exclaimed, "I wasn't sure if Madam Pomfrey would have the time she told me she was spending most of the summer helping out at St. Mangos since they're so short handed these days."

Neville smiled and Ginny suddenly jumped and exclaimed, "oh Neville I'm so sorry I forgot to introduce my friend."

She stood up and grabbed Harry's hand and put it where hers' had been a moment before.

"Neville, this is Harry Potter, he was on the train today. Harry this is Neville Longbottom."

"Its nice to meet you," Harry said, not really knowing what else to do.

"You too," Neville said, seemingly in awe. Then he seemed to come to himself again and said, "I'm glad you're friends with Ginny, she could use one."

"Oh I'm not that much of a loner," Ginny said, taking Neville's other hand.

"Bloody hell you aren't, I'm sure you spend more time in this hospital ward then Madam Pomfrey."

Ginny laughed and nudged him playfully, then said, "well who else is going to entertain a lump like you" which made Neville start to laugh too. They stopped after a moment, Ginny looking at Harry apologetically at the inside jokes.

"So Harry," Neville said, turning his head in Harry's direction, "how are you liking Hogwarts?"

It was funny, no one had asked him this yet and surprisingly Harry didn't know how to answer. Luckily Ginny did for him.

"Oh Harry is staging an open rebellion in protest of him being forced to come here," Ginny explained, "he's not even wearing his uniform right now. Just some sweatshirt with weird swirly rainbow on it."

"It's a band logo," Harry said huffily, "and even if I am in a rebellion I will say the food here is really good. Besides I think Hogwarts' reputation for being tough is overrated because I've been rude, broken a ton of school rules, and cheeky and I still haven't gotten a detention."

"The nights not over yet," Ginny grinned. Just then a clock somewhere out in the vast expanses of the castle begin to toll midnight.

"You better go," Neville said rather sadly, "its long past curfew."

"Right," Ginny said, "I'll be back tomorrow to help you do your homework."

"It was nice meeting you Neville," Harry said,.

"You too Harry," Neville exclaimed, "and come visit me sometime if you have a free period, I love visitors." He squeezed Harry's hand weakly and then let it go.

"Okay," Harry muttered, backing away to let Ginny say a private goodbye. He waited for her at the entrance to the hospital wing and a moment later she joined him.

"The Tri-Wizard Tournament," Ginny said as a way of explanation, "he'll never be the same."

Harry nodded as if he understood, not wanting to press Ginny further. They started off again, this time in silence, towards the Gryffindor dorm rooms. Finally they emerged in front of a panting of a very fat lady.

"You're late," she snapped mostly a Ginny, "you good for nothing-"

"Butterbeer," Ginny said flatly and the painting swung open reveling a large hole and through it the Gryffindor common room.

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	3. The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Disclaimer: Everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Three: **

**The First Day of the Rest of Your Life**

It was a large cozy room with a lot of comfy looking armchairs and couches. In the corner there was a fire going and Harry should have felt relaxed, but for some reason he didn't.

"Boys doors are up that staircase," Ginny told him, "you'll be in the seventh year dorms I figure."

"Okay," Harry said, looking awkwardly around the room, "so I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Probably," Ginny winked and him and then she was gone, up the girl's staircase where he couldn't follow.

Harry stood for a few moments, looking around the room, and tried to imagine that this was the place his godfathers and father had sat during their teenage years plotting pranks and chasing women. He tried to picture his mother as he had seen her in Sirius's old photos snuggled up in one of the armchairs by the fire, but he couldn't. He didn't know those people and this was just another room in a place he didn't want to be. Sighing he turned away and headed up the boy's staircase until he got to the one marked "seventh years" at the very top.

There were four four-poster beds with deep red hangings. Snoring boys already occupied three of them. Harry recognized one of them as the red haired prefect from dinner. Somehow his trunk had made it up here without him and was lying at the foot of the unoccupied bed. Suddenly very tired Harry pulled off his shirt and climbed in. It was very comfortable, almost like his bed at home and before he knew it he was asleep.

_A cold wind blow in off the Atlantic sending a shiver down his spine but Harry hardly noticed. Every fiber in his being was focused on the two dots off in the distance running towards him, dodging cures being thrown at them form all sides._

"_Come on," Harry whispered clutching his wand in one hand and the rusty tin can that way their portkey home in the other, "just a few more feet." _

"_GO," Sirius was shouting at him his voice faint over the rush of the waves, "PORTKEY HOME!" _

"_Just a few more feet," Harry prayed, watching and at the same time not wanting to see as a well aimed stunner took down Remus. _

_And then Harry forgot everything Sirius and Remus had taught him. Forgot all the conditions they had agreed upon for letting him come, forgot his godfathers stern faces when they had told him that no matter what he was to stay hidden and he ran out from his hiding place towards his godfathers._

"_NO!" Sirius shouted as behind him the Aurors recognized him. "HARRY!"_

_Then Sirius was down too and Harry tried as hard as he could to fend off the stunners sent his way, to curse those idiots that were trying to take his godfathers away from him. But it was no use, he was seventeen years old and they were highly trained Aurors. He was barely a foot from Sirius when they finally hit him and he backwards into darkness and misery. _

Harry woke with a start, wiping the sweat from his forehead, his heart beating as fast as if he were still there on that faithful beach. For a moment he didn't know where he was and then he pulled back the velvet curtains that surrounded the four-poster bed and saw the sun rising out the window of boy's dormitory in Gryffindor tower.

It was really early but Harry was wide-awake and knew that even though he had only gotten four hours of sleep he wasn't tired. He needed to run, to clear him mind. So, slipping silently out of bed, he pulled on the wide tennis shoes Sirius had bought him last year. At the thought of Sirius his heart quickened again. He was in Azkaban now, Harry had not been quick enough, hadn't run fast enough to save him. Next time he would be, Harry thought, as he quietly tiptoed down the stairs and out into the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't empty.

"Hi," it was Hermione Granger the prefect from the night before and she was dressed in muggle running clothes.

"I guess great minds do think alike," Harry said, slightly annoyed.

"What?" Hermione asked him, then after a moments pause she took in his running clothes and said, "oh yes. I like to run in the morning, it's a good time to mentally review my studying from the night before."

"Okay," Harry said, then motioned for her to lead the way, "well I was probably going to get really lost trying to find my way to the grounds so maybe you can show me the way, just for today?"

"Sure," Hermione said awkwardly. After a few minutes of silent walking she looked at him and said, "you know I'm actually glad I ran into you, I wanted to apologize for last night. I think we might have started off on the wrong foot and I didn't want you to think Ron and I think we're better then everyone or something, its just Ginny-"

"Don't tell me," Harry stopped her, "I don't like learning about people through gossip."

"Its not gossip," Hermione huffed and Harry almost wanted to laugh but he didn't think they had reached that stage their relationship yet where it was okay to laugh at her.

"Maybe not but I'd rather not base my option of someone on what other people think of them because most of the time in the wizarding world common knowledge is wrong," Harry said, "and if I'm wrong then I'll find that out soon enough."

"That's really noble," Hermione started but then added, "its just we are all worried you might not be safe around Ginny."

"I defeated the most evil Dark Lord in history when I was one I think I can handle a sixteen year old girl," Harry boosted and Hermione couldn't help glared at him.

"And you're so modest about it," she said dryly. They had reached the Great Hall and Hermione stopped to look at him.

"Alright," she said, serious again, "I won't mention it again as long as you agree to be careful."

"I'm always careful," Harry, said seriously, this time thinking about his godfathers. Then he stuck out his hand and said; "Now why don't we start over? I'm Harry Potter and you are?"

"Hermione Granger," Hermione said, shaking his hand, "Gryffindor prefect."

"You couldn't help putting that in there could you," Harry teased, "I bet you sleep with that badge on at night."

"No I don't," Hermione huffed, "but Ron- you know the other prefect- he has an older brother named Percy that use to shin his."

"Seriously," Harry laughed, "if I were made prefect I'd try to hide it. You British people are way to into pleasing your teachers."

"You do realize you're British right?" Hermione said, "because it says so in _The Rise and Fa-"_

"Please don't start quoting all the books I'm in," Harry wined, "why is it every time I make friends they wouldn't let me forget I'm famous?"

"You had friends in America?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"No I was a nun," Harry joked, "what do you think? I'm a teenager of course I have friends."

They were out on the grounds now, the sun just peaking out over the horizon.

"I usually run around the Quiddich Pitch," Hermione told him, "its about two kilometer there and back."

"Um… how many miles is that?" Harry asked.

"Honestly American you need to learn conversations the rest of the world does," Hermione tittered and then she was off.

Harry had to admit and he ran to catch up with her how out of shape he was. He didn't quite enjoy running, it was more like something he usually forced himself to do. He made it to the Quiddich pitch before having to stop the first time completely out of breath. Hermione just looked over her shoulder and shouted, "I'll meet you in front of the main doors" before running ahead of him. Harry walk/ran the whole way back trying to take in the landscape as best he could and note all the possible escape routes. He knew the ministry put up several precautions to keep him inside these grounds but the problem was no one had told him what they were. So that would have to be his first job, to figure out what was keeping him here, the next would be to figure out a way to get to his godfathers.

The sun had risen by the time he met Hermione at the main doors and they were both sweaty and hot as they made their way through the still silent halls and back up to Gryffindor tower.

"See you in class," Hermione said as she left him in the common room. Harry made his way upstairs, his legs feeling jelly-like and had time for a quick shower before going back to his dorm room. The older boys were still asleep. Not feeling up to making more friends before he had breakfast Harry pulled on an old pair of jeans and his second favorite black hoodie. He pocketed his wand but decided bringing quills and parchment to class would make it look like he cared and quietly went back down to the common room.

It was empty and Harry decided he could probably find the Great Hall on his own and headed out the portrayed hole. Twenty minutes later he regretted that decision. He looked down the long empty hallways and scratched his head wondering where the hell he was.

"Lost already?" A friendly voice said behind him and Harry jumped. A pearly figure floated behind him of a very fat man.

"Yeah," Harry muttered, "I'm trying to get to breakfast."

"Well follow me," the ghost said cheerfully gliding in front of him, "I always enjoy helping a new student out. "

"Thanks," Harry muttered, not really knowing what to say to a ghost.

"You know I was a little disappointed you didn't end up in my old house Hufflepuff," the ghost sighed, "but I guess it was predictable, both your parents were Gryffindors after all."

"You knew my parents?" Harry asked interested.

"Not well but I do remember them," the ghost admitted, "your father was always pulling the funniest pranks with his friends. Now your mother was so charming, always good for a quick chat if we past in the halls. It is so sad, so many from those years are not amongst us anymore. Ah here we are, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

"Thanks," Harry said as the ghost drifted off. The great hall was pretty empty. Only a few students got up this early. Harry spotted Hermione over at the Gryffindor table and went to join her.

"Did you find your way by yourself?" Hermione asked rather impressed and Harry was embarrassed to admit he had gotten rather lost.

"Luck it was the fat fryer," Hermione told him, "my first year I wondered off and got attacked by a troll!"

"No way!" Harry gasped, "What happened?"

"Well I was upset about something right before the Halloween feast and was in the bathroom crying. Apparently someone let in a troll. It cornered me in the bathroom and knocked me out, luckily the professors caught it right before it finished me off. I guess they could hear my screams but I was in the hospital wing for about a week. Anyway the good thing to come out of it was Ron. He's the one who had made me cry and he felt awful about it. He came to visit me almost every day and we've been friends ever since. He's really a nice once you get to know him."

"Well that's good I guess," Harry muttered. "So who let the troll in?"

"We never find out but most people think it was Professor Quirall, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. He left really suddenly right before exams at the end of my first year and there was a rumor that he was a support of You-Know-Who had tried to steal whatever it is they have hidden in the third floor corridor. Dumbledore must have figured it out in time though because its still there."

"No way!" Harry exclaimed, "This school is so much more exciting then my old ones. No wonder Sirius liked it here!"

"Sirius, like Sirius Black?" Hermione asked him wide eyed, "I'd heard some rumor that you had been living with him and Remus Lupin, so its true then?"

"Yep," Harry said. Well they'd been talking the plates in front of them had filled breakfast. Harry knew English people liked to eat a lot in the morning, but he had always felt that meat and potatoes where food items not to be eaten before noon so he helped himself to some toast and orange juice, ignoring the tea and bacon Hermione was helping herself to and continued. "They raised me. I'd still be with them if the f-ing ministry hadn't imprisoned them."

"But they're supporters of you-know-who," Hermione said, her eyes wide.

"Totally untrue," Harry told her, "honesty don't know why people believe that shit. I'm going to put a stop to that rumor though just as soon as I get them out of Askaban."

Hermione pursed her lips as if wanting to argue with him but just then Professor McGonagall appeared.

"Mr. Potter," she said, looking sternly at Harry's clothes, "students are required to wear uniforms during the school day."

"Told you I lost it," Harry told her, continuing to eat. Hermione looked scandalized.

"Well I took the liberty of finding some new ones for you," Professor McGonagall told him, handing him a bag of clothes.

"I don't agree with school uniforms," Harry told her, "I think it takes away from our individual expressions."

"I don't care what you think Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall told him, "if you do not go change right you will be writing lines in my office ever night after supper for the next month."

"I was just expressing my views on the subject not saying I wouldn't do it," Harry muttered, grabbing the clothes and starting out of the hall.

"Oh and Mr. Potter, after you change come to my office. I need asses how far along you are in each subject before I can give you your timetable."

"I'm in twelfth grade," Harry told her.

"By American standards," Professor McGonagall said, her lips twitching as if to smile, "which I'm sure are a lot lower then Hogwarts standards. Now go on I don't want to wait for you all day."

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! I like my writing to speak for itself but there's a few things I want to add here just because I can't help myself.

1) For the people who might think I'm hating on Americans (or the American school system) in this chapter that my writing was influenced by my time as an exchange student and some of the difficulties I faced being an American in another country. Although Harry purposely playing up the differences to be annoying.

2) I was surprised this morning to see that my story has been added to a Harry/Ginny ship community so to whoever added me to that I would like to say I am very flattered you like my story enough to add it to your community however I did not indicate anywhere that this is a Harry/Ginny fanfic :P As you will see in this chapter Harry is going to make friends with many female characters…. (this is not to say it can't be Harry/Ginny you'll just have to read to find out).

4) Comet Moon- I totally agree about the smoking! Bad personal experience too, I just put it in here because I thought it would annoy Professor McGonagall.

3) I personally find those fanfics where Harry has amazing super powers just because he was raised with Sirius and Remus annoying as nothing in cannon supports this. So this will not be one of those fanfics.

4) Everything will be revealed in time so you keep reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome!


	4. Life Is Hard Sometimes

Disclaimer: Everything HP related belongs to J.K. Rowling

**Chapter Four: **

**Life Is Hard Sometimes**

Two hours later Harry left Professor McGonagall's office scowling. After testing him for over an hour Professor McGonagall had announced he was far behind the rest of his age group. He had not taken something called OWLS which were required to enter sixth and seventh year classes at Hogwarts, which Harry thought was stupid because that meant anyone who failed them couldn't continue their education past fifth year. He'd explained this to Professor McGonagall, making sure to call her Mrs. McGonagall as many times as he could to annoy her, but she didn't seem to care.

He also learned that the British magical education system was far different from his American public wizarding education. At home he'd been in the 12th grade working on getting good enough grades to be admitted to a Wizarding University. Here there was no system of higher wizarding education and Hogwarts students were expected to enter the working world upon completing their N.E.W.T.s. Harry tried to explain that he didn't care about N.E.W.T.s because he only wanted to go to California Wizard University, which was pretty easy to get into since he had been going to high school in California, but Professor McGonagall wasn't listening.

"Here at Hogwarts our goal is to prepare you for your future life in the_ British _Wizarding world," Professor McGonagall informed him, "now what are your career goals."

"Well I was thinking of enrolling in the WROTC program, you know Wizarding Reserve Officer Training Course, at the WUC, Wizarding University of California," Harry explained, "its were you train to become an officer in the wizarding military."

At this Professor McGonagall's eyes brightened and she pulled a brochure from under one of the large stacks on her desk and said, "an Auror then. You need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s for that and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade. I suggest Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and maybe Care of Magical Creatures or Astronomy."

Harry tried to explain that he didn't plan on staying in England or of become an Auror but Professor McGonagall wouldn't listen to him and explained that due to his unique circumstances they would admit him into some N.E.W.T.s level classes under the condition that he sit the O.W.L exams at the end of the year. She assigned him to seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and History of Magic and sixth year Transfiguration and Charms. Then he had to admit they didn't offer Care of Magical Creatures (parents thought it was too dangerous) or Astronomy (no funding for night classes) in American magical high schools and was thus placed in third year classes.

"Its important to get a good grounding in those subjects," Professor McGonagall told him and then assigned him to third year classes in those subjects.

Outside the bell sounded nine times, signally the beginning of classes for the day. Profess McGonagall seemed a little disappointed she couldn't lecture him further on the importance of a Hogwarts education but he was already late for his first class. Double Potions with the Slytherins.

"Finally," Hermione said as he emerged, she grabbed his arm and started pulling him along the corridors. "We're going to be so late. We wanted to wait for you so you wouldn't get lost."

She said all this very quickly as she continued to pull him along towards the dungeons on her other side Ron was jogging to keep up.

"Wait," Hermione stopped suddenly and Harry nearly fell over, "you are in seventh year potions right?"

"Yes," Harry and was going to add more but Hermione was off again and he had to concentrate on keeping up with her. They reached the classroom just as the late bell tolled and pushed open the door.

"So glad you could join us," a silky voice said from the shadows making the trio jump. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Aw Mr. Potter I see Professor McGonagall has decided your American _education_ is on par with the standards of this class. I however reserve judgment."

Harry scowled at the dark haired professor and took a seat at the back of the classroom as the green and silver side of the class snickered. Harry had heard enough stories about Snape and the Slytherins from Sirius and Remus to know that the hatred the Potions professor bore towards him was due to his uncanny resemblance to his father. This did not make him hate the professor any less as he spent the lecture making snide remarks about Harry's accent. He seemed to take special pleasure in taking points off Harry when he couldn't figure out how much an ounce of dragon skin was or how many degrees (in Celsius) the water needed to be it to boil water.

"That slimy git," Harry muttered as they walked out of class an hour later. Ron nodded; he seemed to have gotten over Harry's jab at him the night before once he realized they had a common bond in their hatred of Snape. "I'd seriously love to show him where he can put his caldron."

Ron laughed but Harry's mood didn't lighten. The Potions class with Snape had reminded him again of how much he didn't want to be at Hogwarts. Seventh year History of Magic was next. Apparently not many Hogwarts students took this subject, as the teacher was very boring which had caused most of the school to fail that O.W.L. Ron wondered off to "study" during his free period while Hermione walked Harry towards the classroom chatting about how great it was to have another Gryffindor in the class. As it turned out there were only four people taking N.E.W.T level History of magic. Hermione, a burly haired Slytherin boy who glared at them when they entered, Susan Bones from Hufflepuff and Padma Patil, the twin sister of one of the Gryffindor seventh years.

The class turned out to be just as boring as Ron had warned. Harry's tiredness was catching up to him. I must have been his announced at having to deal with the stupid British education system or the potions professor but Harry's dreams turned to the last time he had seem his godfathers in the courtroom of the Ministry of Magic and the reason he was stuck in this stupid school.

_Harry stood very still, his eyes locked on two figures bound to the two wooden chairs in the middle of the courtroom. They looked awful, like they hadn't slept in days, but Harry reminded himself they probably hadn't not with the Askaban guards standing outside their cells. He wanted them to look at him, to see that he was all right but he knew this was only a memory. Dumbledore's memory to be specific and that old bat was standing right next to him watching as his godfathers were sentenced to life imprisonment in Askaban._

"_I know this is hard Harry," Dumbledore said softly and Harry torn his eyes away from his godfather to glare at Dumbledore. "But you must understand I'm doing this for the greater good."_

"_F this," Harry shouted wanting to punch the old man, "you know they're innocent! How can you do this to them."_

"_Sadly this has nothing to do with Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore said sadly, "and everything to do with you." _

"_So you're blackmailing me," Harry scowled, "Sirius always told me you were a manipulating bastard."_

"_I do what I need to do," Dumbledore told him, "the prophecy-"_

"_Yeah they told me about that garbage too," Harry was shouting again, "and its stupid, everyone knows prophecy's never come out the way you think they will, if at all."_

"_That may be," Dumbledore said, "but as it stands you are the Chosen One and for the good of the Wizarding World you need to be at Hogwarts, ready to face Voldemort when the time comes."_

"_And so what? You're going to keep Sirius and Remus locked up so that I'll be a good boy and do as I'm told."_

"_For the time being," Dumbledore said, "and I do hope you will show me and the ministry that these men have raised you to be a rule-abiding student. It would be such a shame if the ministry felt they needed to punish your godfathers still further for corrupting their savoir. They might even think they deserved the kiss?"_

"_Okay I'll play your game," Harry said, trying to sound brave but his voice wavered just a little bit in anger and fear for the only family he had ever known, "but I hope you know this means I will never trust you."_

"_It is the price I must pay," Dumbledore said, suddenly sounding very old and if Harry didn't hate this man with every fiber of his being, he probably would have pitted him. And Harry knew as he looked at his ragged godfathers one last time that he would play Dumbledore's game. He would go to Hogwarts and follow the rules, but he would make the experience as painful as possible for everyone involved. _

_The world swirled around them and Harry stood once again in the little locked room inside the ministry off magic where he had been staying since that night on the beach. The two Aurors who had been guarding his door since his arrive had entered the room while they were inside the pensive and stood glaring at Harry. _

"_These two fine Aurors will escort you to Platform 9 and ¾ and make sure you get to Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained and before he left he added, "I've head you've been giving them a hard time but I hope after our conversation you will try to make their job easier on them. "_

_Harry didn't have time to think of a snappy comeback before he was gone. _

"Harry," a voice called to him, waking him from his nap. It was Hermione. "What class do you have next?"

"Oh sorry," Harry said pulling the schedule out of his pocket. "Sixth year Charms."

Hermione's face seemed to fall but she walked him to class away and promising to see him at dinner left.

Harry entered the classroom and immediately saw a familiar face.

"Hi stranger," he said slipping into the desk next to Ginny's in the very back of the classroom.

"Hi Harry!" Ginny exclaimed smiling at him. "I didn't think I would see you before lunch."

"Well Professor McGonagall seems to think I'm not ready for seventh year Charms, so here I am," Harry announced.

"Would it be bad if I said I'm happy about that?" Ginny teased.

Harry would have replied but class had started. The tiny professor who taught the class fell off his pile of books when he called Harry's name, which caused the class to laugh and then spend a good majority of the lecture seeking looks over their shoulder at him.

Harry was annoyed to realize that even the sixth grade class was a bit challenging for him. He also wished wizards in England had figured out that writing with quills and ink was a lot harder then ballpoint pens and notebook. By the end of class his hands were covered in ink, his notes were completely unreadable, and Ginny was in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

"Well its not like I need to study," Harry muttered annoyed at himself, "I don't know why I even bothered taking notes, habits of a good student I guess."

"So you do actually care about school sometimes?" Ginny giggled as she walked with him to lunch.

"Of course, I want to go to the Wizarding University of California," Harry tried to explain to her about her further plans but like McGonagall she didn't seem to understand that he didn't need N.E. and had a good enough GPA to take it easy his senior year.

"But you need N.E. to become an Auror," Ginny was trying to explain to him as they sat down at the very end of the Gryffindor table. Hermione had waved to him as he passed but noticing he was with Ginny hadn't motioned for them to join her.

Harry sighed and gave up trying to explain the difference between American and British educational systems. Instead he surveyed the lunch spread out before him and felt even more homesick then normal. Harry may have not known what it was he was putting in his mouth but he was a teenage boy and at that moment his hungry stomach seemed to be the only thing that mattered.

* * *

A/N: A few things

1) I totally did not mean to turn anyone off by my last authors note when I just teasing that you shouldn't just assume because Harry and Ginny are my main characters they will fall in love (I'll also point out here this story is under 'drama' not 'romance'). Honestly I wrote that because it was so funny to me that only two chapters in this had been classified a Harry/Ginny fic. Although its good to know my audience seems to be rooting for Harry/Ginny….

2) For those who think Harry gave up to easily in early chapters, this chapter is for you. I hope this clears it up that Harry has been trying to be annoying without receiving any actual punishments that can be used to show Sirius and Remus were unfit parents later on.

3) I know Super!Harry is fun but I wanted to do something different. Don't worry some Americans who kick ass might show up later….

4) Question. So how I'm doing it now is posting a chapter every time I take a break from writing. However could wait until I have a bit more in each chapter before publishing them. So would you prefer chapters every day or longer chapters every other day?

THANKS FOR REVIEWING! Its really helpful in my writing process to get some reactions as to how my characters are coming across!


	5. Enemies From All Sides

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling this all belongs to you, please do not sue me.

A/N: So this is a pretty short chapter but a really important one. Hope you like it.

**Chapter Five: Enemies From All Sides**

After lunch Harry said goodbye to Ginny and made his way over to Ron and Hermione who were leaving the Great Hall.

"Please tell me you have Defense Against the Dark Arts now too?" He said, "Cause I'm am not in the mood to get lost right now."

"Course mate," Ron said, pulling his book bag over his shoulder, "this place is a bloody maze an't it."

Harry stared at him for a moment before his sleepy mind processed what Ron had said through his thick accent and nodded. They walked down the corridor as Ron complained the Hermione about all the homework they had that night and Harry decided he was too tried to pay attention, finally try reached a large classroom. Hermione and Ron went to sit in the front of the classroom but Harry decided to take a chair in the very back of the room.

"Good Morning," a soft voice said from the shadows and a tall man with hair almost as black as Harry's stepped into view. "I am Professor Riddle, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this year."

Harry said a very bad word, which luckily no one heard. Sirius had told him that Tom Riddle was a free man walking through a world, which was completely oblivious to his evil, but Harry had never quiet believed it until this instant.

Up at the front of the class Riddle was calling roll and when he reached Harry's name he paused, his eyes searching the classroom almost hungrily.

"Mr. Potter," he repeated. Harry didn't know if he trusted himself to speak. The raised his hand out of the shadows. "Aw Mr. Potter I was very glad to hear you would be attending this lecture. We might all learn from your unique perspective on this week's topic, the unforgivable."

"I don't talk about that," Harry said then added to himself, _especially not to you. _He thought not looking at the professor. He was surprised to find his voice was strong and there was no hint of murder in his voice.

"Mr. Potter," Riddle said, his eyes staring into Harry's and there was no doubt that he knew Harry knew the truth, "you would do well to learn to not show others your weaknesses for you never know who will use them against you."

There stared at each other for a moment longer, Harry's fist clutched in his hand and it the thought of his godfathers that kept him from sending the most powerful curse he knew at the professor.

"Now," Riddle said as he called the last name on the list, "this is seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts. In this room I will teach introduce you to some of the darkest magic spoken of within these hallow halls with the hope that if you ever encounter them in your lives you will able to protect yourselves against it."

"Sir," Hermione said, her hand quivering in the air, "do you mean you will be teaching us Dark Magic?"

"To overcome Dark Magic you must first knew it," Riddle whispered. The class seemed to grow paler at this but no one said anything.

"Now I know your history in this course has been rather unusual," Riddle continued, "seven professors in seven years. Professor Dumbledore did not want me to take over this year but the board of directors decided that you might benefit from my… experiences."

_I bet they did _Harry thought savagely; _they're probably all a bunch of Death Eater scum._

"Your experiences sir?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Riddle said as he paced the length of the classroom, "I have made it my life's goal to find delve further into the Dark Arts then anyone has ever gone." Most of the class seemed to gulp before he added quickly, "strictly for academic purposes of course, Harry quivered in fury. "Today I though I would begin with a review of the unforgivable curses. I believe you studied this in your fourth year but they are amongst the most common dark spell you will encounter so I thought you might all benefit from a deeper look at the subject. Now can anyone name one of the unforgivable? Mr. Weasley?"

Harry couldn't stand it, he couldn't sit in the same room with that, _thing_, that had taken his parents and now his godparents any longer. He got up.

"Mr. Potter," Riddle started to ask before Harry said.

"I need to vomit," and then walked out of the classroom amongst snickers. Riddle looked after him and if any of the students had looked hard into his cold gray eyes they might have seen the hatred burning in them as he watched Harry's retreating back.

Out in the hallway Harry started to run. He didn't know where he was going, didn't know where anything was in that stupid castled but he knew he needed to go up. Sirius liked to tell him it wasn't a surprised that Harry turned out to be a natural on a broom because he had always loved being up high. When he was a baby Sirius use to take him to the top of the skyscrapers in whatever city they were living it. Sometimes it would be the only way to make him stop crying to Sirius or Remus would sit up there holding him up to the rails for hours. Later on anytime Harry was upset or sad Sirius and Remus would just look for the highest spot wherever they were and there was Harry. So even though he had no idea where he was going, he knew where he would end up. In the Astronomy tower, the highest point in Hogwarts tower. The only problem was at this particular moment it wasn't empty.

"Hello," Ginny said as he pushed through the door, painting heavily. She was sitting on the edge, her feet hanging off the battlements, a book in one hand and an apple in the other.

Harry went to sit next to her, shoving his legs of the edge, and for a long time they just sat there, the wind blowing in their hair.

"In my first year," Ginny said, her voice breaking the silence, "I killed a boy, Colin Creevey, because he was muggle-born. I was possessed but no one believed me except Dumbledore, not even my family."

"I believe you," Harry said, taking her hand.

"You don't even know me," Ginny said sadly.

"No, but I know what's its like to have people think you're something your not," Harry told her.

They sat there a while longer, not talking, just watching the clouds as they floated by. After a while Harry turned to her and asked the question he'd been wondering since he met her. "Why don't you leave?"

"Where would I go?" she asked him dryly.

"Sirius and Remus left," Harry said, looking back at the sky. "After Voldemort tried to kill me. They took me from the ruins of my old house and we left."

"Well they're a lot braver then I am," Ginny told him.

"I don't believe that," Harry said, "you're here for a reason. You're still trying to find out who really killed Colin and then you're going to kill whoever it was."

"You think so," Ginny asked him.

"Yes and I can help because I bet you I know who it was," Harry told her. Ginny stiffened a little and said whispered "who?"

"Professor Riddle."

"Your off you're nuttier," Ginny said after a moment. She stood up and was glaring at him. "I don't know what your on about but this isn't a joke."

"I'm not joking," Harry told her, standing up and grabbing her arm before she could leave, "I'm dead serious. That man is the cause of everything that has gone wrong in this country for the last twenty years. He's the reason my parents are gone and I bet my godfathers' motorcycle he killed Colin and framed you. But I'm going to expose him for what he is then I'm going to kill him and get my godfathers back, you want to help?"

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bloody wanker," Ginny asked him.

"I have no idea what that is," Harry said, but before he could say anything else Ginny kissed him, right there in the same spot where twenty-three yeas before another red-haired girl had kissed anther annoying boy with jet-black hair.

* * *

A/N: Okay so it turned out to be Harry/Ginny :P Hope you all like it.


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